Buying an Keyboard Instrument for Home: A Brief Guide for Parents

Buying an Keyboard Instrument for Home: A Brief Guide for
Parents

Learning an instrument is incredibly exciting and a very
worthwhile endeavour. Music teachers know that the best musical
results are achieved through regular, consistent practice at home
on an instrument suited to the student's level of playing.
Practicing on an inadequate instrument at home will set your child
back in the long run, and this is an issue that is raised by
teachers time and time again. A common frustration for them is
knowing that it is often the student's home practice instrument
that holds them back. Teachers must engender the ability for young
musicians to be discriminating with sound, and it is incredibly
important for the student's musical outcomes to be learning on a
quality instrument.

A really serious piano student should need and want a grand
piano. There are musical possibilities that are only possible on an
instrument with a real grand action (key mechanism), pedals and
strings. However the beauty and romance of a grand piano is not
always practical in the home, and moving down from there, to
upright, digital, and hybrids, there are compromises that actually
represent stunning alternatives. But there is such a thing as a
compromise too far, so here is a guide to what's available and why
it's important.

This is the common alternative to a grand piano and, while the
compromise of an upright piano is the 'upright action', it is an
excellent choice that will be suitable for many years of successful
practice, right up until the highest grades. A good quality new
piano is an investment and will have excellent resale value,
especially with a valid warranty and a known service history. A
cheap or lesser known piano will not. So if the worst happens and
nobody is playing it anymore, it can at least be sold to the next
budding musician.

When looking at second hand, the first thing to consider is this:
has the piano been properly serviced and cared for? Like a motor
vehicle, pianos are incredibly complex and need regular servicing
and maintenance. Second hand pianos most often have an unknown
service history, and are frequently imported from different
climates, which can experience problems related to adjusting to
Australia's humidity.

An heirloom is most often just that; an heirloom. While old
pianos have charm and sentimental appeal, they often have degraded
sound integrity and mechanical function that will hold back
progress. If this situation sounds familiar you should seriously
consider an upgrade, or at least a good digital piano.

In our open plan living environments, you can even get a 'Silent
Piano' which is an acoustic piano that can be played silently with
headphones. Particularly great for apartments, this option extends
the available hours of practice and allows for multiple activities
in the home.

Depending on
the specifications, these will suit up to AMEB Grade 6 or even
higher. There have been extraordinary advancements in digitals so
if it's been five years or so since you've really given digital a
thought, it's time to look again. The speaker arrangements create
an authentic piano experience, and modern sampling technology can
include things like key on/off sampling, string resonance, and
damper resonance. The features are derivative of a grand piano,
including the action, the pedals and the tone, with the advantage
of a smaller cabinet. An added bonus is they are suitable for a
wider range of environments and there is no requirement or cost
associated with tuning.

This is a part of the range where you can get terrific value.
Sound samples and functionality vary, but a cabinet with pedals
(Arius) will give the physical arrangement of a piano, while there
are a range of more portable options with a piano focus (P Series)
or with the ability to play styles, rhythms and accompaniments (DGX
Series). Most instruments in this range have a weighted action to
replicate a piano touch.

Starting on a keyboard is ok, but hopefully it will have a
limited life. That is, your child will enjoy making music and as
they improve, will require the nuances, subtleties and expression
of a more complex instrument. And they will soon require the use of
a pedal. If you start out on keyboard, there are two key things to
keep in mind: five octave (minimum), touch sensitive. Touch
sensitive means it can play soft and loud (which is expression, and
is important). Avoid anything without full size keys. Yamaha would
recommend a PSRE343 or higher, and be prepared to think about
upgrading in 12 months.

Rental

The benefits of renting are often overlooked. It's a cheap entry
point to a good quality new instrument, it's upgradeable when the
next level of instrument is required, and you can always return it
if it is no longer desired. For beginning students, it can mean
they can learn on a great instrument now, rather than wait.
Yamaha's range of rentals is available at www.yamaharental.com.au or
go in to your local music store and ask if they have a rental
program.

Talk with your teacher about the right option for your child, as
the right instrument gives better musical outcomes, and will create
many years of happy musical memories.